Multipurpose &amp; compatible pillow/headrest

ABSTRACT

Provided is a headrest structure. The headrest structure includes an ergonomically shaped hole in the shape of a back of a human head formed in a soft-textured material of latex foam or memory foam, and an auxiliary tray and frame that can be assembled with the back of a chair to relieve a neck and a head from discomfort.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention focuses on improvement of head-support function ofpillows and chairs; it is intended to enhance the convenience foreveryday use with application of ergonomic figure, proper utilization ofmaterials and advanced structure.

aa) Concept of Ergonomic Figure

Among human spinal column, the cervical vertebrae consists of sevenbones around neck area and joins skeleton to the spine. It looks a curvehaving a “C” shape of c in a sectional view. It plays an important roleof sustaining head and regarded as one of the most important anddelicate part of human body because spinal cord (assembled group ofvarious neurons) penetrates through this cervical vertebrae. The humancervical vertebrae has a ‘C’ shaped curve when standing straight, whileit floats in the air when lying down on the bed or leaning against thechair. When sleeping in the chair, it is also wrenched and tilted to theleft/right or forward/backward due to the relaxation of neck-muscle aswell as round-shape of back of the head. It creates pain on the neck andshoulder when we use pillows and headrest of chairs manufactured withoutconsideration of such phenomenon. It is the purpose of this invention touse proper pillows and functional headrest of chairs so as to seekcomfort and to release pain and ache from neck and shoulder during thesleep on bed and chairs.

Mostly, pain and ache on neck and shoulder created by wrong posture ofhead cause interrupted sleep and tiredness during the sleep on passengerseats of long distance transportations including airplanes, ships,trains, buses and automobiles.

It is difficult to support the head straight while sleeping because ofthe relaxed neck muscle. Unless the head is placed properly, the neckbecomes wrenched and easily bent. Therefore, the best way to protectcervical vertebrae and to release pain is to fix and place head innaturally comfortable way on pillows and chairs. Unfortunately, existingproducts are still far from solution to this problem.

The meaning of natural head-fix(place) is to insert head deeply into‘ergonomic shape hole.’ The main concept of this invention is to use themethod of head-fix and head-support in stable and comfortable manner onpillows and chairs by comprising deep ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ that copies the back shape of head and neck.

bb) Concept of Combination Structure and its Applicable Objects

The present invention is to add ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ tothe pillow/headrest combined with applicable objects (such as pillows,chairs and sofas). For its proper usage, it should be remodeled by theconcept of combining the pillow/headrest with applicable objects. Forits multipurpose and compatibility, the joint-dimension betweenapplicable objects and the pillow/headrest is unified and standardized.Also, its portability will be increased by minimizing the size andweight of the pillow/headrest. Accordingly, this invention furnishesmore comfortable way of living by facilitating the multi-use of theproduct.

The pillow/headrest can be utilized for variety of environments;bedrooms, sofas, reclining chairs and office head-back chairs and alsofor outdoor places such as camping zones and picnic areas, includingpassenger seats of airplanes, ships, trains, buses, automobiles.

cc) Technological Condition

The purpose of this invention is to maintain the best comfort positionof head and neck in any circumstances and environments. Thetechnological conditions are as follows:

1) Most people would feel satisfied with comfort on head and neck forthe long time use of ‘pillow/headrest’(FIG. 1) with external figure of‘ergonomic hole of head-insert’ which copies the back shape of the headand neck.

2) Materials of pillow/headrest (such as latex-form, memory-form,sponge) should feel soft, light weight and cushioning and particularlybe able to embody and materialize the ‘ergonomic hole of head-insert’(drawing code 1 and 2).

3) The pillow/headrest should be combined with and separated from thebody of applicable objects easily and simply for the effective usage.The external size should be standardized (expected to be about 26-28centimeters width) for properly compatible use with all kinds ofapplicable objects in any time. It also provides adjustment function ofpillow/headrest position according to the user's sitting head height.

4) Although the production cost will increase compared to that ofexisting products, this invention will substantially have a higher levelof economical efficiency.

BACKGROUND ART

Through this invention, we exerted our effort to achieve the improvementon overlooked issues among existing products on the field of pillow andchairs as follows:

aa) The pillow

It is not easy for human head and neck to be fixed straight andcomfortable on flat ground and hard surface of pillow because the humanhead is round-shape. For one example, natural materials of traditionalpillows such as rise husks, buckwheat and millet have demerit toobstruct the blood circulation of head and neck after long time use,although they are comparatively easy to fix the head on the pillow.Another example is modern pillows filled with materials of normalsponge, padding and midair-yarn; while it has soft texture, it isdifficult to fix the head in a stable manner and we tilt our headleft/right or forward eventually creates pain in neck and shoulder.Recently, latex-form and memory-form have been used for pillows toprovide solution to problems of tilted head and wrenched-neck, it hasbeen improved much but not solved completely.

In order to provide solution to problems of wrenched-neck and tiltedhead, proper selection of material for the pillow is necessary butessential solution on the aspect of external figure is more important.It is the goal of this invention to find solution both on externalfigure and internal materials of the pillow

bb) The Chair (For Headrest)

We commonly know the best comfortable chair is to have ‘ergonomicfunction’ on area where the head, back, waist, arm, hips, leg are laidon. The head stands on straight by itself when we are awake or workingon the chair, but the head should be fixed and supported straight bysupplements after we recline backwards because neck muscle is relaxedwhile rest and asleep on chairs.

The chairs can not be reclined backward enough and need various aidsfunction of keeping comfortable posture of head by supplements becausethe interval space of equipped chairs in long-distance transportationssuch as airplane, ship, train and bus is narrow. Currently, existingchairs have only flat ground and a part of jutted component near by bothsides of head for simply avoiding the head's movement, instead ofproviding ergonomic shape insert hole on the head part of chair bodywhere human head is placed. Thus this kind chairs can not release painsand stress of neck and shoulder mainly because it has not improvedsupport function for head and cervical vertebra without providingessential solution to the wrenched neck. Nobody has provided solutionthis long standing problem until today in practical manner althoughother parts of chair have shown some progress. It is said to be the “heat around bush” instead of method to provide solution to the essentialportion of the problem.

This present invention can provide solution to long standing problem byadding the deep ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ and by remodelingthe chair body for assembly of ‘pillow/headrest’, which has not beentried for chairs yet (FIG. 2).

Somebody may worry if deep hole of ‘ergonomic shape of head-insert’would give any inconvenience when sat on chairs. But it is no concern atall because human head rarely lean against the chair body when we workon the chair such as reading books, meanwhile deep hole of ‘ergonomicshape of head-insert’ can be used effectively for inserting and fixingof head when we sleep or rest on chairs.

cc) Main Subjects for Improvement

Although the concept of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ is quitesimple, it was rarely adopted in pillows and chairs. However, it nowbecame comparatively easier to implement this into variety of productsdue to the advance in technology, nobody has tried it until present. Foreffective use of pillow/headrest, this invention has now focused on theexternal ergonomic figure, proper utilization of materials andremodeling-structure of applicable objects such as chairs and sofas.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem

aa) Practical Use and Manufacturing Process of ‘Ergonomic Shape Hole ofHead-Insert’

bb) Proper Selection of Internal Materials and Exterior Shells for‘Pillow/Headrest’

cc) Remodeling of Applicable Objects for Easy Assembly/Separation andUnification of Pillow/Headrest's Size for Compatibility

dd) Function for ‘Pillow/Headrest’ Position Adjustment on Chairs

Technical Solution

Necessary tasks and means to solution of ‘pillow/headrest’ depend on thefollowing:

aa) Practical use and manufacturing process of ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’: Commercialization of ergonomic figure and structure asmain concept of this invention and effective utilization of ‘drillingcutting system’(FIG. 13) and ‘forming & expansion molding system’ formanufacturing

Embodiment of figure for ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ isrequired in advance of commercialization and manufacturing of ‘formingof head shape-hole’(called ‘pillow/headrest’ after this). Embodiedfigure looks after the ‘shape of half-sphere’(drawing code 1) like theback of human head and the ‘shape of half-cylinder’ (drawing code 2)like the back of human neck as FIG. 1 & FIG. 3. The application idea ofcombined figure with ‘shape of half-sphere’ and ‘shape of half-cylinder’for pillows and chairs is a simple concept as ‘the egg of columbus’ butpractically there has not been any instances to apply such ideas topillows and chairs so far.

In the past, the reason why ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ wasnot made on the pillow was the character of natural materials itself(such as rise husks, buckwheat, millet, etc) that was impossible to makefixed ‘shape of half-sphere and half-cylinder’. Although the internalmaterials have newly substituted to latex-form, memory-form and sponge,the process of ‘extrusion press molding system’ prevented the pillowsfrom its production with shape of half-sphere and half-cylinder.Currently there has been an improvement in technology to shape like‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ with latex-form, memory-form by‘forming & expansion molding system’ but no attempts were made toutilize it in field of the pillow.

And also in the field of chair manufacture, due to the internalmaterials, exterior shells and the manufacturing process, manufacturerof chairs were in no position of adopting the accurate figure of ‘shapeof half-sphere’ and ‘shape of half-cylinder’ on their products. Evenmaking ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ on chairs, they could notfind methods to customize the head size with standard size of hole andto adjust the position of hole for everybody in conventional system ofproduction and traditional structure of chairs. It can be inferred that,in spite of demands for such inventions, the conventional system ofproduction could not commercialize an ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ due to the difficulties in standardization of hole size,limitation of mass-production and adjustment of hole position. Evenadvanced structure of chair such as headrest-attached type (includingdriver's seat of car) was not equipped with ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ due to different purposes of use and internal/externalmaterials of headrest.

‘Ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ of this invention in fields ofpillows and chairs has not been utilized for commercialization in publicand has not yet been applied for patent with progressed function ofcombined-structure after embodiment of the advanced figure. Thus thisinvention is the first attempt with the concept of practical use andcommercial utilization for various fields as function of‘pillow/headrest’ after embodiment of ‘shape of half-sphere’ and ‘shapeof half-cylinder’ and reconstitution of combined-structure withapplicable objects (pillow and chairs, etc)

There are two kinds of manufacturing methods of ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ in this invention.

The first method is ‘forming & expansion molding system’ with materialsof latex-form, memory-form and sponge. It is a normal production methodwith existing skills, which does not seem difficult to proceed theproduction of this invention.

The second method is ‘drilling cutting system’ which uses a drillingmachine (drawing code 14 of FIG. 13) to make ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ on basis forming products (drawing code 16 of FIG. 13) ofmemory-form and sponge which was prepared by the system of ‘expansionblock molding.’ Drilling machine can easily cut memory-form and spongedue to their soft texture, (excepting latex-form due to drillingdifficulty) and the cut surface does not necessarily be precise and neatbecause products of ‘pillow/headrest’ will be used after covered bytextured fabrics as exterior shell. In case of memory form, it requiresspecial process of quick freezing, because it becomes much flexible andsoft due to high temperate in summer season and becomes difficult to dodrilling-cut, Tools and the process of drilling-cut refers to the FIG.13. Regarding the process of mass production, basis forming products isdrilled for making ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ and is cut forsize of height and each piece one by one moving along the conveyor belt.Lastly, hole of air-flow can be made on pillow/headrest by drilling ofsmall diameter as much as necessary.

bb) Proper selection of material for ‘pillow/headrest’ and of exteriorshell fabrics necessary to reveal curve-line of ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ and soft hand-feel with flexibility.

1) For Function of Main Pillow in Bed and Sub-Pillow

Latex-form, memory-form and sponge are used for manufacture of pillow(but memory-form is excepted for main pillow in bed especially due toeasy variation according to the temperature, for example, distorted byweight of human head in warm temperature and hard hand-feel in coldtemperature).

2) For Headrest Function of Sofa and Chairs

Latex-form, memory-form are used for headrest function of sofa andchairs. (Sponge is excepted due to poor hand-feel)

3) For exterior shell fabrics of ‘pillow/headrest’ should be soft andelastic to reveal curve-line of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ asmuch as possible. Not only the function but also appearance is importantfor exterior shell and should be anti-flame (modacrylic fibers isrecommendable as non-flammable material) for prior prevention of fire.Therefore proper exterior shell would be spandex knitted fleece fabricwhich has proper function of surface softness, flexibility andappearance.

cc) Embodiment for Remodeling Structure of Applicable Objects andAssembly Method with ‘Pillow/Headrest’, and Relatively Condition ofStandardization & Unification for ‘Pillow/Headrest’

1) Bedroom Pillow

The ‘combined model’ which gathers ‘basic model’(drawing code 3 of FIG.4) and ‘extension model’(code 4 of FIG. 4) are manufactured one by oneas separated structure instead of all-in-one and are inter-combinedautomatically by exterior shell during the usage. Later they can bedivided after opening the zipper and exterior shell can be removed forwashing. Some exceptional height and external size of ‘basic & extensionmodel’ of ‘pillow/headrest’ can be adjusted in various according tospecial requests during the process of production. For some cases, sizeof ‘basic model’ can be enlarged without ‘extension model’ for followingof wide requirement of consumers. And also ‘ear recess’ (drawing code 5of FIG. 4) is provided for comfortable sleeping without crooking of earduring side turning of body and face. We often move body when sleepingif we do not feel comfortable on our head and neck but we enjoy deepsound sleep for long period of time in straight posture with littlemovement, if head and neck are in comfortable condition.

-   -   ‘Basic model’(code 3 of FIG. 4): Main area used for sleeping        straight is same as ‘standard model’ of ‘pillow/headrest’ in        this invention.    -   Extension model (code 4 of FIG. 4): this area is used during        body movement to right and left, and may be useful in relieving        pain of neck and shoulder because height of ‘extension model’ is        close to height of shoulder.

2) Pillows in Outdoor Activities Such as Camping and Picnic

The pillow of ‘standard model’ of pillow/headrest’ (drawing code 3) canbe used under back of the neck/head in normal way and the height ofpillow can be adjusted with attached ‘triangle shape panel’ (drawingcode 34 of FIG. 7) with a velcro tape (drawing code 35 of FIG. 7), ifnecessary.

3) Pillows for Existing Reclining Chairs and Automobile Seats

‘Standard model’ of ‘pillow/headrest’ (drawing code 3) can be used underneck and head when we sleep or rest on existing reclining chair andautomobile seats after reclining backward. If necessary, ‘triangle shapepanel’ can be used for adjustment of height of ‘pillow/headrest’

4) installed-headrest of chairs (office head-back chairs, recliningchair and seat of vehicle, especially passenger's seat of long distancetransportations such as airplane, ship, train and buses)

‘Standard model’ of ‘pillow/headrest’ can be used after assembly withseat/chair of which body is remodeled and restructured properly (FIGS. 5& 11). Especially the art of this item as important object of thisinvention will further be described in details for remolding andrestructure of chair in ‘MODE OF INVENTION’

5) Headrest for Sofa

‘Standard model’ and variety of bigger sizes of ‘pillow/headrest’ can beused as pillows after putting it on place of cut-shape at head-laid areaof sofa (code 6 of FIG. 6). Users can get effect of height adjustment of‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ of ‘pillow/headrest’ by therolling movement of ‘half-moon shape panel’ (drawing code 44 of FIG. 6),which is attached down of pillow/headrest’. For proper rolling movementfunction of ‘half-moon shape panel’ at the users' request, its materialshould be harder and in a shape of round circle. As for the‘pillow/headrest for back-seat of private car, ‘half-moon shape panel’can be used as same as sofa.

6) Headrest for Back Seat of Private Car

During the course of production for back seat of the private car, theseat is remodeled with the ‘square shape inset hole’ installed togetherwith the ‘standard model’ of ‘pillow/headrest’(method and shape ofassembly referred to the FIG. 8 and drawing code 10 of FIG. 9). Anothermethod is remodeling the body of the seat with shape of ‘L’ as same assofa. Because this back seat of private car cannot be reclined backwardlike sofa, ‘half-moon shape panel’ (drawing code 44 of FIG. 6) will beuseful for height adjustment of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’

For complete assembly and compatible use with various applicableobjects, external shape of ‘pillow/headrest’ should be unified in onesize which is expected to be about 26 cm-28 cm of width, 18 cm-20 cm oflength and 10 cm-12 cm of height. As shown in FIG. 1 shows, drawing code‘a’, indicating the width of ‘pillow/headrest’ , is the basis forstandardization of square shape inset holes of applicable objects and‘pillow/headrest’. It becomes unchangeable once fixed in one size forthe compatibility and easy assembly for ‘pillow/headrest’ withapplicable objects. The drawing code ‘b’, indicating the length of‘pillow/ headrest’, is adjustable portion of 18 to 20 cm depending onthe applicable objects and sometimes, on circumstances. The drawing code‘c’, indicating the height of ‘pillow/headrest’, categorizes the size of‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ into the size group of S/M/L thatis classified based on survey of standardized head size. Exceptionallyfor bedroom pillows, the height and external size can be changed underthe adjustment of production procedure as per consumer requirement.

dd) The position adjustment function for ‘pillow/headrest’ of chairs.

We have two kinds of installation methods so that the low/high positionof ‘pillow/headrest’can be adjusted anytime according to the user'ssitting head height (FIG. 11).

1) Type A (FIG. 10)

Users can adjust the low/high position of ‘pillow/headrest’ to theirsitting head height by the direct attach and detach feature when sittingon chairs with ‘pillow/headrest’ installed. Velcro tape (drawing code 11of FIG. 10) is attached to both sides of ‘pillow/headrest’and ‘squareshape insert hole’ to fix the adjusted position (or other exterior shellfabrics with such function as velcro tapes can also be used). The type Awill be used for production of new chairs or for airplane seats due tothe lower risk of theft than that of transportations. As for theremodeling of existing chairs, the method of ‘aid component tray-insert’(FIG. 14) will be appropriate.

2) Type B (FIG. 12)

This installation method of ‘pillow/headrest’ on chair body is anindirect insert method using box-shaped ‘aid frame’ components (drawingcode 9 of FIG. 12). This ‘aid frame’ can install ‘pillow/headrest’ andis inserted into the ‘square shape insert hole’ of chair body. Metal orstrong synthetic resin will be used as its material and the size of ‘aidframe’(drawing code 12) will be less than ‘pillow/headrest’ so that itshould not touch the human head when sitting on chair. ‘Insert pole’(drawing code 8) is inserted into ‘hole’ of tube shape (drawing code 13)for assembly and position adjustment of ‘pillow/headrest’ with chairbody. This method can be used for new production only and for seats oftrains and buses due to the low risk of theft.

Advantageous Effects

aa) Convenience and efficiency : Enhancement in comfortable living

1) For sleeping and watching TV in bed (using it as main and aid pillow)

2) For sleeping in outdoor camping areas (hand-carrying in rucksack andseparating from pillow/headrest’—installed back seat of private car)

3) For sleeping on passenger's seat of long distance transportationssuch as airplanes, ships, trains and buses

4) For relaxing and sleeping on reclining chairs and office chairs withhead-back support

5) For relaxing and sleeping on sofa or on back seat of automobile

6) For relaxing and sleeping on driver's seat of private car afterreclining backward (simply by laying the neck and the head on‘pillow/headrest’. Existing driver's seats are not suitable to relax onor sleep on due to the uncomfortable shape and hard texture).

7) For relaxing on and sleeping on existing reclining chairs (samemethod as driver's seat of car)

bb) Practicality

1) The ‘pillow/headrest is standardized in size and shape: it can beused for multi-purposes and compatible use.

2) ‘Pillow/headrest’ comes in small size: it very handy and portable.Practical method of hand-carry is to down size the ‘pillow/headrest’after putting it inside of poly-bag (called clean-bag) to press it flatand tying the mouth of the bag tight to keep it flat shape in vacuumuntil un-packing for using

cc) Economics

1) To save natural resources and to lower the production cost byrecycling the existing chairs.

2) To enjoy high business value with substituting application to varietyof other fields.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of standard ‘pillow/headrest’ which is acore device in this invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of status of pillow/headrest whensitting on chairs.

FIG. 3 is a front view of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ which isfundamental concept of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of ‘combined model’ of pillow which isconsist of ‘basic model’ and ‘extension model’ for using in bed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of ‘pillow/headrest’ combined with chairbody.

FIG. 6 is a status view of ‘L’ cut shape of sofa head and placement of‘pillow/headrest’ and additional status view of assembly of ‘half-moonshape panel’ with ‘pillow/headrest’and function of direction/heightadjustment.

FIG. 7 is perspective view of several assembly status of ‘standardmodel’ pillow with ‘triangle shape panel’ for height adjustment and viewof velcro tape attached to pillow and panel.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of status of standard ‘pillow/ headrest’installed on back seat of private car.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of remodeled back seat of private car.

FIG. 10 is an illustrative view of assembly status of ‘pillow/ headrest’with chair body by type A of adjustment function for low/high positionof ‘pillow/headrest’ and position view of velcro tape which is attachedto both side of pillow/headrest and insert-hole of chair.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of adjustment status for “pillow/headrest’of chair

FIG. 12 is an illustrative view of assembly status of ‘pillow/headrest’on ‘aid frame’ with chair body by type B of adjustment function forlow/high position of ‘pillow/headrest’, and a view of shape and assemblystatus of ‘aid frame’ which ‘pillow/headrest’can be installed on.

FIG. 13 is a sectional and plane view of process for ‘drilling cuttingsystem’ which is one of production method for ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ and a perspective view of drilling tool.

FIG. 14 is an illustrative view of assembly process for ‘aid componenttray-insert’ with pillow/headrest and chair body.

FIG. 15 is an illustrative view of actual remodeling procedure ofexisting chair by the method of ‘aid component tray-insert’

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of self-separation and self- assembly of‘aid component tray-insert’ for adjustment of its depth/ height.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of ‘ square shape insert hole’ forinstallment of ‘pillow/headrest’on head part of chair body as ‘bodytype’ which is made by the ‘injection molding’ system or formingexpansion molding’ system

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’on head part of chair body as ‘direct type’ which is made by the‘forming expansion molding’ system or ‘drilling cutting’ system, and isa perspective view of its assembly status.

FIG. 19 is a sectional plane view of fundamental concept to embody the‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ according to size group of ‘S/M/L’(example for size group of S/L)

EXPLANATIONS ON DRAWING CODES OF FIG.

1. ‘Shape of half sphere’ which copies the back shape of human head as apart of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’

1-2. Area which is a ‘shape of half-cylinder’ (not ‘shape ofhalf-sphere’)

2. ‘Shape of half-cylinder’ which copies the back shape of human neck asa part of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’

3. ‘basic model’ of pillow as ‘standard model’ of ‘pillow/ headrest’(‘molding of head shape hole’)

4. ‘extension model’ which is a part of bed pillows

5. ear-recess that belongs to the ‘extension model’ of pillow

6. remolded figure of “L” letter shape on head part of sofa

7. normal sofa pillow

8. insert pole of ‘aid frame’ for assembly with chair body

9. figure of ‘aid frame’ (slightly smaller size than ‘pillow/headrest’)

10. Remodeled figure of back seat of private car for installment of‘pillow/headrest’

11. Velcro tape attached to both side of ‘pillow/ headrest’ and ‘squareshape insert hole’

12. Smaller sized ‘aid frame’ compared to pillow/ headrest

13. Insert tube hole for inserting pole of ‘aid frame’ on chair body

14. Shape of drilling tool for ‘drilling cutting’ system

15. Cross sectional view of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ madeby ‘drilling cutting’ system

16. Basic forming products, created from ‘expansion block molding’system, that will be used to manufacture the ‘pillow/ headrest’ throughthe ‘drilling cutting’ process. They can be in one unit or block shapedepending on the situation. Thy can be cut in parts by cutting knife atthe final stage after the ‘drilling cutting’ process.

17. Cross sectional view of ‘pillow/headrest’ made by the ‘drillingcutting’ system

18. Cutting knife to cut into certain units of pillow/headrest after the‘drilling cutting’ process. The size (height) of pillow/headrest’ isdetermined by this knife cutting.

19. Remnants from the knife cutting process of ‘pillow/headrest.’ Theydetermine the size (height) of ‘pillow/headrest’; the more they cut off,the lower the height of pillow/headrest (drawing code c) becomes.

20. ‘Aid component tray-insert’

21. Upper part of chair body made by with square shape insert hole of‘pillow/headrest’

22. square shape insert hole which is made by ‘injection molding’ systemor’ forming expansion molding’ system for assembly of ‘pillow/headrest’

23. Protruding part on both right/left inside wall of square shapeinsert hole to avoid slippage of ‘pillow/headrest’

24. Upper part of chair body made by ‘forming expansion molding’ systemor ‘drilling cutting’ system with ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’

25. Remainder exterior shell on top line of chair head from cutting formaking square shape insert hole after remodeling of existing chairs,which will later be pasted into top inside of ‘aid componenttray-insert’

26. Edge wing of ‘aid component tray-insert’ pasting the cut-area ofexterior shell

27. Bottom piece of ‘aid component tray-insert’

28. Border piece of ‘aid component tray-insert’ of which height shouldbe adjusted according to the thickness of remodeled existing chair body

29. Enlarged view of assembly status of bottom piece and border piece.Because ‘aid component tray-insert’ itself has a wing, it should beproduced through ‘injection molding’ system by separating the bottompiece and border piece in order to enable the depth/height adjustmentfunction. (Although the assembly is not very solid, it doesn't come offeasily as long as the wing of ‘aid component tray-insert’ is pasted withexterior shell and it is fixed by the screw on the chair body).

30. Screw hole of ‘aid component tray-insert’ to fix at the chair body

31. Protruding parts on both right/left inside wall of ‘aid componenttray-insert’ to avoid slippage of ‘pillow/headrest’

32. Bonding pole of upper part and chair body for body type’

33. Bonding pole of upper part and chair body for ‘direct type’ withlow/high position adjustment of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’.

34. ‘Triangle shape panel’

35. Velcro tape for assembly of ‘pillow/headrest’ and ‘triangle shapepanel’

36. ‘Square shape insert hole’ where ‘aid component tray-inert’ will beplaced after cutting upper part of existing chair with electric saw forremolding

37. Cutting line which is marked for easy cut with electric saw.

38. Cut edge of exterior shell which will be pasted on edge wing of ‘aidcomponent tray-insert’

39. Plane section view of small size (‘S’) of ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’

40. Plane section view of big size(‘L’) of ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’

41. Remodeled existing chair body with ‘square shape insert hole’ forinstallment of ‘pillow/headrest’

42. Cutting line to build the small-sized pillow/headrest

43. Cutting line to build the large-sized pillow/headrest

44. ‘Half moon shape panel’ for sofa and back seat of private car.

45. Normal cushion with waist support.

46. Velcro tape for assembly with ‘half moon shape panel’ and‘pillow/headrest’

47. A perspective view of the frame (one kind of ‘aid frame)’ toassemble the head part of chair and chair body in ‘direct type.’ Thesize and shape come at reasonable standard and it is equipped withsitting height adjustment function.

48. Upper part of chair body with different reclining angle and shape inevery chairs.

49. Enlarged and adjusted standard ‘pillow/headrest’ in external sizefor wide convenient use according to consumer's requirement innecessity.

a. Width of ‘pillow/headrest’

b. Length of ‘pillow/headrest’

c. Height of ‘pillow/headrest’

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

More details on the core points of this invention will be described inthis column.

aa) Dimension resolution and manufacturing of ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’

In order to customize the ‘pillow/headrest’ to every user, ‘ergonomicshape hole of head-insert’ should be produced in three size groups ofS/M/L based on survey on standard size of human head (For bedroompillows, production may be separately made for infants and children, ifnecessary). During production of ‘pillow/headrest’, cutting knife(drawing code 18 of FIG. 13) can be used for classification of‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ into the size group of ‘S/M/L’ in‘drilling cutting system’ as shown in drawing code 19 of FIG. 13.

The concept of dimension resolution for ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ is based on the fact that centre of gravity of human headand neck is placed on one point as shown in FIG. 19. The insert holesize for head and neck are fixed according to the same diameter(estimated to be 20 CM for head and 14 CM for neck) and to eachdifferent circle length of S/M/L size group. According to the circlelength of both head and neck, size of ‘ergonomic shape hole ofhead-insert’ varies according to the size group of S/M/L under theprinciple that the bigger the size of head is, the thicker the width ofthe neck is (drawing code 40 for size ‘L’ , drawing code 39 for size‘S’). Bigger head size means longer length of head circle and highcutting position (drawing code 42 & 43 of FIG. 19) by placing closer tothe centre of circle because the length of circle varies according tothe cutting position of circle instead of difference in diameter. As aresult, the height of “pillow/headrest’ (drawing code ‘c’ of FIG. 19) isfixed naturally at size groups of S/M/L.

In general, diameter of drilling tool should change according to thesize of ‘ergonomic shape hole of head- insert’. The reason to choose theother method uses unified diameter of drilling tool for size group ofS/M/L is to simplify production process of ‘pillow/headrest’ in order toproceed whole size products in one line of manufacturing. As for‘forming & expansion molding’ system , one size mold can producenecessary size selectively among whole size group of S/M/L depends onnecessity of different size by adjustment of mold inside-unit, of coursealthough it can proceed different diameter of drilling tool anddifferent diameter of mold for each size group of S/M/L in general way.

bb) Method of restructure for chairs among applicable objects (passengerseat of airplane, ship, train, bus and office head-back chairs)

1) Combination type

-   -   cutting hole type: it provides accurate ‘square shape insert        hole’ on body of chair for assembly with ‘pillow/headrest’. And        ‘square shape insert hole’ is covered with same exterior shell        fabrics as chair body (such as synthetic leather, textured        fabrics, etc). it is basic method and is suitable for only new        production of chair (drawing code 41 of FIG. 10 and FIG. 12)    -   Tray insert type: It adds the ‘aid component tray-insert’        (drawing code 20 of FIG. 14) to ‘square shape insert hole’. It        is useful for both new production of chairs and recycling of        existing chairs. ‘Aid component tray-insert’ , as one type of        plastic injection molding products with the shape of tray, plays        a role as a linking-device between “‘pillow /headrest’ and chair        body. (Refer to FIG. 14). More details will be specified in next        column, as this is one of the most important items in this        invention.    -   Body type: For another type of chair, it provides a square shape        insert hole (drawing code 22 of FIG. 17) to the head part of        chair body (drawing code 21 of FIG. 17), made by the ‘injection        molding’ system or ‘forming expansion molding’ system with        synthetic resin of somewhat harder material than sponge to        preserve the shape of chair without affecting the soft        hand-feel. In order to improve cushioning, it can be covered        with special fabrics. It is particularly useful for new        production of chairs. It can also be combined with chair body as        method of poll-insert (drawing code 32 of FIG. 17). For the        low/high position adjustment of ‘pillow/headrest’, it adopts        type A

2) Direct type: For more another type of chair, it provides an‘ergonomic shape hole of head-insert’ on head part of chair body(drawing code 24 of FIG. 18) directly by ‘forming expansion molding’system or ‘drilling cutting’ system with materials of latex-form,memory-form and sponge. It is useful for new production of chair. Forfunction of both low/high position adjustment and assembly with chairbody, it adopts ‘aid frame’ enlarging type B (drawing code 33 of FIG.18).

cc) It now states more specified contents on ‘aid component tray-insert’(FIG. 14) which can be used effectively for new production of chairs andrecycling use of existing chairs, and particularly which can fulfill thepurpose of standardization with restructuring of entire types of chairs.

1) Concept: Regarding restructure for body of existing passenger seatinstalled in long distance transportations such as airplanes, ships,trains and buses, ‘aid component tray-insert’ (injection molding. andcalled as ‘tray-insert’ after this)) is designed as an aid component forthe purpose that ‘pillow/headrest’ should be installed neatly andaccurately into the ‘square shape insert hole’ of the seat. This methodof ‘aid component tray-insert’ can serve possibility of effective massworking at equipped place of existing passenger seat (inside ofairplane, ship, train, bus) and also is useful for a personal consumerto recycle the existing chairs. This progressed method (FIG. 14) is tocut the head part of chair body to make regular size of insert hole,restructure the applicable objects, install tray-insert’ into arrangedsquare shape insert hole and to insert ‘pillow/headrest’ into ‘tray-insert’. Whole square shape insert hole of chairs should be unified toone dimension as per standard size for compatibility of‘pillow/headrest’. This ‘ tray-insert’ is indispensable to accomplishthis purpose of compatible use.

2) Aims of Achievement: The aims of this invention are to reinforce (i)the assembly function and compatibility (ii) the efficiency and neatlook of remodeled chair (iii) the adjustment function of tray-insert'sdepth(height), (iv) the locking of ‘tray-insert’ on chair body, (v) thelow/high position adjustment function of ‘pillow/ headrest’.

3) Solutions

-   -   Reinforce the assembly function and improve compatibility of        ‘pillow/headrest’. It is automatically solved by using the        ‘tray-insert’    -   Efficiency and neat look of remodeled existing chairs (FIG. 15).

When making square shape insert hole on existing chairs, it is muchcumbersome to patch other exterior shell (synthetic leather or fabrics)on cut-area neatly but if this ‘tray-insert’ (drawing code 20 of FIG.14) were inserted and locked into square shape insert hole of chair andthen cut-exterior shell of cut-area is pasted with edge wing of‘tray-insert’, it would save time and effort to work on the appearanceof chairs.

The process of cutting head part of chair body to make precise squareshape insert hole (drawing code 36 of FIG. 15) one by one requiresconsiderable amount of time and efforts, but the process of making justsquare shape inset hole for installment of ‘tray-insert’ can easily bedone with much less amount of time and efforts. In case that sizes ofhole were inconsistent, it could fill the gaps with simple methods.Square shape insert hole are manufactured after the process of (i)marking its position line (drawing code 37 of FIG. 15) on center of thehead part of chair body by stamp (stamp-like tool of marking cuttingline for easy working) (ii) cutting left/right side lines and bottomlines of square shape insert hole position together with exterior shellof chair (drawing code 38 of FIG. 15) by an electric saw, and (iii)extracting the internal substance of square shape inset hole (drawingcode 36 of FIG. 15) except for the external shell of top line (drawingcode 25 of FIG. 15). For the good appearance, we conducted the nextprocess as inserting ‘tray-insert’ into square shape insert hole andpasting cut-exterior shell of left/right and bottom side on edge wing of‘tray- insert’ (drawing code 26 of FIG. 15), while exterior shell of topside (drawing code 25 of FIG. 15) was left without cutting. It is laterpasted into top inside of ‘tray-insert’ which does not have edge wingbecause the wing is not useful for this area, as is the different casefor reclining angle and shape in every chairs (drawing code 48 of FIG.15). Also, color of ‘tray-insert’ will be matched to exterior shellcolor of chair body to further improve the appearance of the chair.

-   -   Adjustment function of tray-insert's depth/height (FIG. 16)

Depth/height of ‘tray-insert’ should be changeable according to thedepth of ‘square shape insert hole’ which varies depending on thethickness of existing chairs. This invention facilitates the adjustmentfunction designed for compatible usage for every existing chairs withoutlimitation. This ‘tray-insert’ should be comprised of two partiesseparately such as bottom piece (drawing code 27 of FIG. 16) and borderpiece (drawing code 26 & 28 of FIG. 16) when produced by injectionmolding system, because it has wing of border piece which is obstaclewith depth/height adjustment of ‘tray-insert’. Regarding depth/height of‘tray-insert’, generally height of border piece which is justdepth/height of ‘tray-insert’, can be made in each requested size as onepiece (without separation of bottom and border), and also can becontrolled by combination and separation of injection mold inside. Butgeneral method need many injection molds for production of ‘tray-insert’on high cost and within limited process, while this invention canproduce many kinds of ‘tray-insert’ of different depth/height because itcombines bottom piece (drawing code 29 of FIG. 16) together with manykinds of border piece which is cut as per requested size of depth/heightafter injecting one kind deepest/highest size of border piece. Remainderpieces can be used for next injection production to save wastedmaterials.

-   -   The locking of ‘tray-insert’ on chair body (drawing code 30 of        FIG. 14). Process of locking ‘tray-insert’ to chair body is only        a simple process before pasting exterior shell on ‘tray-insert’.    -   Adjustment function of low/high position of ‘pillow/ headrest’.

In order to adjust the low/high position of ‘pillow/headrest’, itfollows type A for assembly of ‘pillow/headrest’ with chair body and itneeds jut on both right/left inside wall of ‘tray-insert’ for avoidingslippage of ‘pillow/headrest’ (drawing code 31 of FIG. 14)

4) Effects: Using of ‘tray-insert’ can raise efficiency by simple jobprocess and saving of time during remodeling of existing chair. It canalso enhance the value and quality of products by accurate assembly with‘pillow/headrest’ and ‘chair body’ and additionally create practicalvalue by enlargement of compatible advantage. Recycling of existingchair benefit both in economic aspects (saving natural resources) andeventually to increase the convenience of customers. This method of‘tray-insert’ can create increasing exclusive demand of‘pillow/headrest’, because it can recycle existing chair afterrestructuring which will lead standardization of ‘square shape inserthole’ of chair and pillow/headrest.

1. A headrest structure comprising: a headrest (3) having a concavecurved surface including a neck support configured to support a neck ofa user and a head support configured to support a head of the user; anda headrest tray (20) configured to surround an external surface of theheadrest to be coupled thereto.
 2. The headrest structure according toclaim 1, wherein the headrest tray (20) is inserted into and installedon a top end of a chair.
 3. The headrest structure according to claim 2,wherein the headrest includes the concave curved surface whose shape andsize are formed depending on a shape and size of a head of a sitter, andthe headrest is replaced to be inserted into a quadrilateral grooveformed on the back depending on the shape and size of the head of thesitter.
 4. The headrest structure according to claim 2, wherein theheadrest includes a concave curved surface whose height and directionare adjustable.
 5. A headrest structure comprising: a headrest (3)having a concave curved surface including a neck support configured tosupport a neck of a user and a head support configured to support a headof the user; an auxiliary frame (9) combined with the headrest to becoupled thereto;
 6. The headrest structure according to claim 5, whereinan insertion rod (8) formed on a bottom surface of the auxiliary frame.7. A headrest structure comprising: a headrest (3) having a concavecurved surface including a neck support configured to support a neck ofa user and a head support configured to support a head of the user; andan angle adjustment pad (34) inserted into a bottom surface of theheadrest (3) to incline an angle of the headrest (3), wherein the angleadjustment pad (34) has a slope having a predetermined inclination.